James Michael “Mike” Luce
James Michael “Mike” Luce
Sept. 25, 1942-March 12, 2016
Retired MSgt. James Michael “Mike” Luce, 73, of Tonkawa, Oklahoma, and formerly of Marble Falls, Texas, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, March 12, 2016.
He was born to James Franklyn Luce and Goldie Olivia (Hamilton) Luce on Sept. 25, 1942, in National City, California.
He grew up in California and Texas, before enlisting in the United States Air Force on Dec. 15, 1960. While stationed in California he met Vera Jane Aytes. They married on Aug. 15, 1964. They had three children, Carol, Janice and James.
His service to our country included three tours to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Other duty stations included the United Kingdom, Idaho, California, Oklahoma, Iceland and Michigan before retiring on Aug. 31, 1981.
After retirement, he moved his family to Marble Falls, to go into business with his father, Jim Luce. In 1983, he entered his 15-year service to the Lord, serving as the building superintendent and a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Marble Falls. He and Vera moved to Tonkawa, Oklahoma, in April 1997 and eventually began working at Cessna where he retired again in 2006.
After retiring, Mike enjoyed playing guitar, camping, fishing, bowling, spending time with family, traveling across the country with Vera and being an avid golfer.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Kara, and brother, David.
Survived by his wife of 51 years, Vera, sister Margaret Ann Adams and husband, Randy, of San Diego, California, daughter, Carol Ann Luce Wright and husband, Michael, of Cottonwood Shores, Texas; daughter, Janice Michele Luce, and husband, Duane Teets, of Cedar Park, Texas; and son, James Michael Luce, Jr. and wife, Karen, of Haysville, Kansas; 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
A viewing was held Tuesday, march 15, from 5-8 p.m. and Wednesday, March 16, from 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
A funeral ceremony with full military honors provided by the United States Air Force was held in the chapel at Anderson Funeral Home in Tonkawa at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2016, with the Rev. Richard Thomasson officiating. Mike will be laid to rest at 11 a.m. Friday, March 18, 2016, at the Fort Sill National Cemetery in Elgin, Oklahoma.
Memorial donations may be sent to the National Hemophilia Foundation, 7 Penn Plaza, Ste. 1204, New York, NY, 10001.
